Spanish is spoken by more than 400 million people worldwide and is, according to Ethnologue, the language with the second-highest number of native speakers in the world (Chinese is number one). Spanish is, as well, an official language in more than 20 countries and a number of international organizations. In the U.S., Spanish is rapidly growing as a first or second language for many individuals, and the U.S. Census Bureau reports that, in the U.S., more than 37.5 million people speak Spanish at home. In addition, it is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. The Hispanic cultures have had quite an impact on the arts, literature, philosophy, and architecture over time. And it is for all these reasons that a Spanish major is a great preparation for employment opportunities in business, social services, government, health care, communication, teaching, or any another profession that requires bilingual written or oral communication skills and cultural understanding.

We here in the Spanish section of the Foreign Languages Department at Midwestern State University are excited about your interest in our program. When you enroll in our courses, we believe you’ll find that we care about our students. We want you to learn, grow, and develop to your maximum potential, and our classes are such that students get to know their professors and each other—you definitely will not be just a number, or just another student. You are special and will receive individual attention both in and out of class.

The Spanish program offers an undergraduate minor and major. The minor requires eighteen hours (six courses) of advanced work beyond the initial fourteen hours (four courses) of language instruction, and the major requires twenty-four hours (eight courses) of advanced work. While there are electives, there are certain required courses (within the previously mentioned requirements) that you must take in order to obtain a major or minor, so be sure to keep that in mind.